Raymond B. Stevens, Vice-Chairman, United States Shipping Board and United States Representative, Allied Maritime Transport Council, and George Rublee, United States Representative, Allied Maritime Transport Council, to George I. Gay, Commissioner, Planning Division

Development of import program for year nineteen nineteen must consider possibility of releasing vessels down to one thousand deadweight for service in European waters. Most urgent need now for craft to carry coal and army supplies across channel and from Spain and from Africa. Gordon2 states must have thirty thousand deadweight immediately and more needed later. Can you take steps to get immediate allocation of fifty thousand deadweight of vessels not suited for trans-Atlantic service for use as described in European waters? Alternative is withdrawal of equivalent trans-atlantic tonnage now in service of American Army. Stevens Rubles<e>

SIMS.

Source Note: Cy, DNA, RG 45, Entry 517B.

Footnote 1: Presumably, “TOWER” indicates that the message was sent as a radio transmission to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations to be delivered to Gay.